It was a JV soccer scrimmage in late August. An away game. Ninety degrees, thick air, two minutes on the clock.
Then came the collision. One player flipped, spun full-circle mid-air, and hit the turf hard. He didn’t get up. The coaching staff jogged out as he lay there in the grass, barely stirring. Out in the rural district, help would take time.
What happened next wasn’t in any playbook.
Our varsity coach—warming up his squad on the sidelines for their turn on the field—marched his players across the grass, waved them into a half-circle, and had them stand shoulder-to-shoulder around the injured boy. For nearly 40 minutes in the sweltering heat, those teenagers stood there until an ambulance arrived. Creating a wall of privacy. Casting shade. Protecting an opponent lying in the grass.
The coach kneeled beside the young player so he wasn’t alone. We’d find out later he broke his collarbone—painful, but otherwise, he’d be OK. A huge relief for everyone holding their breath.
That day, parents in the stands were moved. The principal called our district. The story reached the superintendent. But from my vantage point—watching from the bleachers, knowing my freshmen sons were absorbing very second of it—it wasn’t about the praise. It was a defining moment of culture. This young varsity coach, new to the school, was showing the community that character, empathy, and relational trust come far before the scoreboard.
Which brings me to this month’s issue.
What does a soccer scrimmage have to do with instructional coaching? Everything. Effective coaching isn’t a series of sporadic check-ins. It’s about presence. It’s showing up when things fall apart, building trust-based partnerships, and modeling the culture you hope to cultivate.
That spirit runs through every article. Jim Knight reflects on his three decades of researching instructional coaching, while Mary Webb and Dan Steele examine how to leverage AI without losing the human touch. Authors Jenni Donohoo and Danica Lewis, plus Dwayne Chism dive into shifting mindsets and building deeper teacher conviction. You’ll also find strategies on asking “permission” to coach, expanding your toolbox, cultivating self-coaching habits, and new insights on how principals grow on the job.
The best coaches aren’t chasing the spotlight or trying to prove a point. They do what’s right. They push, they support, and above all, they model.
Shoutout to Coach Sam Sasu and the varsity squad at Walter Johnson High. Here’s to a season of working hard, staying humble, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
Enjoy the issue.
